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China United Kingdom Science Technology

Microscopic Underwater Sonic Screwdriver Successfully Tested 28

afeeney writes: Researchers at the University of Bristol and Northwestern Polytechnical University in China have created acoustic vortices that can create microscopic centrifuges that rotate small particles. They compare this to a watchmaker's sonic screwdriver. So far, though, the practical applications include cell sorting and low-power water purification, rather than TARDIS operations. Appropriately enough, one of the researchers is named Bruce Drinkwater.
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Microscopic Underwater Sonic Screwdriver Successfully Tested

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  • by Anonymous Coward

    Can it reverse the polarity of the neutron flow?

    • by Anonymous Coward

      Can it reverse the polarity of the neutron flow?

      Only if Sean Pertwee or Jon Pertwee does it. Also note if David Tennant and Matt Smith do it at the same time it results in confusion of the polarity.

  • An "Underwater Sonic Screwdriver" sounds like a drink you'd order at a Panama City bar.

    • by KGIII ( 973947 )

      PCB is fantastic! Their CCA run jail - not so much, I was not there long. They do not like self defense it seems. I did some consulting there and stayed on the other side of the bridge at the Econo Lodge right on Rt. 98 across the way from the noms at the Omelet House or some Chinese dinner with a forgettable name. I have been to the bars in PC and PCB. I have chilled with the strippers at the Omelet House after. I would not sleep with any of them but they always knew where the fun was.

  • My searches turn up links that describe a fictional device employed by the Doctor Who series. Is there a real device that watchmakers use?
    • No. They're describing it as a watchmaker's sonic screwdriver (after the fictional device which gets the Doctor out of scrapes each week, but doesn't work on wood), not (as the summary has it) comparing it to one.

      "If the large-scale acoustic vortex devices were thought of as sonic screwdrivers, we have invented the watchmakers sonic screwdriver."

      • by Falos ( 2905315 )
        I still feel like harmonic resonance might lead to some applicable tool, if only as a novelty. BRB, calling dibs on thoughtproperty. Er, "filing a patent".
  • Bruce Drinkwater and Dr ZhenYu Hong.

Math is like love -- a simple idea but it can get complicated. -- R. Drabek

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